How to Prepare for a Cambridge Interview
What are they looking for?
Is your child stuck on how to prepare for a Cambridge interview? Being prepared for a Cambridge interview can sometimes feel like a tall order. Especially because they can take so many different forms. However, there are certain things that your child can look out for.
The aspects of knowledge and ability that the tutors are looking out for include the following:
- Concision and an ability to clearly explain their point
- A mind for discussing and arguing points – it is extremely important your child stands their ground if the tutors try and provoke them
- Eagerness to learn and realisation when they have made an error
- A good knowledge of certain areas of their subject
- A passion for their subject and for learning in general
- An analytical and imaginative mind
- Confidence (that is well-founded!)
Key questions to keep an eye out
Your child needs to remember that they are not predominantly testing them on everything they know about the subject. Nor are they testing how many facts and figures they can regurgitate. The Cambridge interviews are much more about how well your child can express themselves and argue a point. Concision is also extremely important as it shows that they can analyse information carefully and in detail.
How to prepare for a Cambridge interview question:
To ensure your child enters the interview room with all the resource, knowledge and skills to answer the interview questions, they should:
- Make sure that they have read all of the texts mentioned in their personal statement. They should be able to talk about them coherently and with an interesting perspective.
- Read around their subject and uncover some interesting points to use in response to Cambridge interview questions
- Practice talking their subject with another person or with yourselves. It’s not about whether you can understand them, but that they are able to speak confidently about their subject.
- Practice thinking on the spot and under pressure so they can react to the Cambridge interview questions without pausing too much before answering
- Read up on the tutors of their subject and their specific interests
How to approach a difficult interview question:
Whilst your child will find tutors asking some of the more common Cambridge interview questions, it’s the hard questions that they will be struggling to prepare for. The tricky Cambridge interview questions are the ones that are less obviously connected to your child’s subject. Knowing how to prepare for a Cambridge interview question like these can be difficult. However, it’s making the connection that is the key. Tutors will be looking for students who are able to relate these questions to their subject and explain why the two things are connected.
The Cambridge interview questions are not intended to put people off. They’re specifically targeted to test a student’s imagination and ability to adapt to situations. Your child should choose their argument and follow it. Their answers should also be consolidated with references from their subject and areas of their subject they know and feel confident talking about.
The tutor’s aim in a Cambridge Interview
The tutor’s aim is to ask your child various Cambridge interview questions, both traditional and straightforward; abstract and challenging, that review how you react and adapt. It is not a test of how much your child knows but rather how they can use what they know to prove a point!
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More Tips on Cambridge Interviews
You can find more guides like this in our blogs section. Our experts have written an extensive number of informative articles which detail the key top tips on how to prepare for a Cambridge interview. We’ve got the secrets to your child’s interview success. Visit our blog and find them out for yourself.
